The Value Of Routines At Home

The value of routines at home is immense, both for the harmony of family dynamics and for instilling good habits in our little ones. Homes where lack of authority and lack of structure reign make children equally disrespectful and disorganized. We will lead you to reflect on your home routines and analyze their effectiveness.

routines with babies

If you want to have some time for yourself, routines are indispensable when you have one or more babies at home. Creating (approximate) schedules is the best way to have a predictable, organized day and to be able to plan with “your time”.

By this we refer to the fact that babies must have a routine of feeding, bathing, stimulating and sunbathing with times that allow them to organize their day, while they adjust their periods little by little.

Naturally, all with discretion, since, for example, for a baby only one month old, it is very difficult to adjust to feeding and sleeping schedules, although you can already organize a sequence of feedings, sensory stimuli and naps. You can also respect sunbathing and bathing times, which are totally up to you.

Most babies up to two or three months of age usually have a break of about three hours to eat. Ask a breastfeeding consultant or your pediatrician for help if you believe you are not getting it, as a well-eating baby should sleep well, and this is the only way you can go about creating an effective routine. A baby who does not eat well usually sleeps little, crying more and becoming angrier.

Routines with young children

When the little ones start attending the nursery or school, it is important to adjust the routine at home. It should be considered that the hours of sleep will satisfy your child so that he has energy to play and have fun and thus enjoy all that school has to offer.

Keep in mind the following:

• Consider the times the child should go to bed and then get up. The morning routine is much more important, as  the day should start well for both them and you.
• Most children need time to wake up, drink their milk, and choose what to wear. Make sure you have time for them without having to rush them.
• When I get home again, routine becomes important again to instill good habits in the children. Teach them to wash their hands when they arrive, change clothes, or whatever suits their family dynamics.
• Remember to have fixed times for bathing and eating, as well as playing.
• Make sure that there are also correct habits when eating, such as sitting in the chair and using the napkin, for example. You can also encourage them to try using the cutlery.

• It is also important that when they finish playing they start collecting toys as soon as they can.

Routines with older children

Older children begin to have other responsibilities, such as homework, which you should include as part of your daily routine.

• Organize the morning routine with posters with pictures or images so that they can visually know what to do: shower, get dressed, have breakfast… Include every activity that interests you that is present in the morning routine.
• When they get home, there should also be times to eat, watch television, play, do their homework and take a shower.
• Each of these activities must also have its own process. In other words, when taking a shower, the child must be able to do this alone, or with little help, put on their clothes, collect the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper, and leave the bathroom tidy, for example.

• At this stage of the routine, creating good school habits is essential. The task should be done at the same time and in an appropriate place, with sufficient lighting and ventilation, little noise and distractions. When finished, the child should collect everything and pack their backpack for the next day.
• At mealtime, ask them to collaborate to set the table, and when they finish they collect their plate and take it to the kitchen.

Routines are synonymous with perseverance

Know that creating effective routines at home requires discipline and perseverance on your part, as well as effort and discretion to organize them in the best way. However, the results won’t take long and will be well worth it.

Being disciplined and persevering in creating routines means sticking with them day after day with unwavering determination. If you leave the subject of processes and schedules only for the days you want to reprimand your children, and the rest of the days you sabotage the schedules that have already been established, it will be much harder for you to incorporate routines into your family dynamics.

love and good mood

Love and good humor are the key to establishing routines at home without making the relationship tense. Educating your children is not a matter of scolding, educating is creating with love, patience and perseverance.